Coming Home (1-Shot)
by RecursiveDestroyer
Summary: Marik and Ryou wait for their loved ones to return home, but will they? Bronzeshipping. Tendershipping.


Marik stood on the dock sullenly as he watched the destroyer pull out of the harbor. The large guns let loose a mighty roar as they let off a round of blanks in goodbye. The deck of the ship was lined with the uniformed men and women who were being shipped off to the war far across the sea. Marik's boyfriend Melvin was one such man.

Marik tried his very best not to cry since he had promised that he wouldn't and he succeeded after only a few sniffles. The metal hull of the large ship was slowly moving out of sight and Marik stood there until it was. The chilly wind that was swept up from the ocean blew back his blond locks as his lavender eyes wished for the destroyer to come back already.

Footsteps sounded from behind him as Ryou, his best friend, came to stand beside him. Ryou's fiance, Bakura, was onboard the fleeting ship as well, so they shared in each other's pain. His small hand patted Marik's slouched shoulder as if to offer some comfort. "Let's get some breakfast," Ryou offered sympathetically and slowly led his friend away from the docks back towards the city.

* * *

The first few months weren't as bad as Marik had thought they'd be. Ryou, Yuugi, Yami, and the rest of Yuugi's friends really helped to take his mind off of the fact that Melvin was in the middle of a war and was at risk of dying or becoming injured at any time. His own work as a hairdresser kept him busy since the apartment didn't have to be cleaned every couple of days, and the time without Melvin seemed to actually fly by. When he asked Ryou about it, he said much of the same thing. Ryou's flower shop was keeping him busy as well.

Phone calls from the ship were irregular seeing as one couldn't make a call when under attack or fighting but somehow Melvin seemed to call whenever Marik was about to do something stupid or have a breakdown. So far, Marik could proudly say that his promise to Melvin still stood; he wouldn't cry until Melvin was home safe. Melvin himself had laughed at the childish idea when Marik first brought it up before his departure and the sudden remembrance caused Marik to smile.

After a few teasing words had been exchanged, Melvin promised that he'd come home. At the time he had said it, it was obvious that he found it as a joke of sorts but Marik clung to the words as if his very life depended on it anyway. He found that he soon couldn't wait for Melvin, the love of his life, to return to him.

* * *

It was only about a month until the destroyer was due back from the war front, and Marik had grown increasingly worried as the months wore on. Calls had been completely cut from the ship and apparently weren't allowed if the rumor in the navy bar was to be believed. The final months seemed to move slower than the rest of the year, and he hated it with a burning passion. He swore that it was almost as if time itself were against him.

Marik was standing in the kitchen when he finally got news of the destroyer Melvin was on. His phone rang in his pocket as he was cutting vegetables and he answered it with a brief greeting. He held it between his ear and shoulder as he worked diligently to prepare his dinner for the next week. Ryou was on the line.

"Did you hear about the ship?" Ryou asked worriedly from the other end.

"No," Marik replied back nervously, catching his friend's tone immediately. "Did something happen?" Worst case scenarios automatically played in his mind as he assumed the worst

"Check the news." The words caused an unsettling feeling to form in his gut but Marik complied anyway. He walked into the living area and turned the television on. A news channel was already playing. On the screen was a destroyer burning. Huge plumes of black smoke rose up from where the engines ought to be and from various places on the deck. The guns were firing at a constant rate as the vessel tried to defend itself from an off-screen enemy.

"Is that…?" Marik attempted to ask but trailed off. A part of him didn't want to know the answer. His lavender eyes were wide as the video of the burning ship continued and his body was frozen in place.

"Yeah, Bakura and Melvin are on there," Ryou confirmed sadly, accepting the truth easily. "I haven't heard anything about anybody being hurt or… dead yet so let's hope for the best, eh?" Someone shouting at Ryou in the background came through the line and Ryou quickly excused himself and hung up. He promised to call back later but the words went straight through Marik's ears and didn't register in his head. His eyes were still plastered on the TV. He just couldn't believe he was watching the ship his lover was on burn.

The camera was shaky indicating that someone on board another ship was taking the footage and based on the timestamp, the event happened over seven hours ago. Faint moving dots could be seen against the smoke as the white uniform of the sailors stood out. Marik presumed that hoses were being brought out in order to secure and put out the fire but they could've been moving ammo towards the battlements as well.

With a stiff arm, he turned off the television and with even stiffer legs, he returned to the kitchen. He didn't want to believe it. Melvin could be… _No!_ Marik shouted in his mind at himself. _He promised to come home safe! Melvin isn't a liar!_ Shaking his head to clear his thoughts away, he returned to cutting the vegetables quickly. _He will return home! He_ will _return to me!_

* * *

It was nearing the time of arrival for the destroyer to be back in the harbor. Marik and Ryou were fixing up their beloved's dinner so they could eat a warm meal upon returning home; they had heard boat food wasn't all that appetizing. The steaks were cooking on the grill and Marik's salad was sizzling nicely in a skillet lightly doused in canola oil. The pair were sitting at the dining table in comfortable silence. Marik had a glass of wine in hand while Ryou had some herbal tea.

They would be heading off to the dock soon and to say neither of them was nervous would be a huge understatement. Neither Melvin nor Bakura had called after word got out about the destroyer being attacked and even the bartenders who practically made a living telling secrets didn't know. Both hoped and prayed that their boyfriend and fiance respectfully would be on that ship safe.

The evening came quicker than either of them expected and soon they found themselves standing stiffly at the docks. Marik's, or rather Melvin's, black and gold trimmed motorcycle was sitting a couple slots back in the parking lot while Ryou's run-down sandy-brown sedan was parked right beside it. A crisp wind blew off of the ocean water and it reminded Marik of when he watched the ship pull out of the harbor.

It was ironic really. The ship had pulled out when the sun was rising and was pulling in when the sun was setting. It made for a very beautiful backdrop as the gigantic metal hull of the destroyer finally came into view. The fire evidently hadn't been as bad as everyone had thought if the minimal damage done to the superstructure was anything to go by. A round of blanks was fired from the guns in welcome and a few people cheered as they spotted their loved ones standing at parade rest on the deck.

Marik didn't see Melvin's blob of golden hair among those standing on deck and became worried. Surely there were no casualties when the ship had been on and under fire that day about a month ago? There had been no information except the general whereabouts of the vessel on the news or in the bars so no one knew what to expect upon the destroyer coming home.

The tug boats brought it into the dock and the ladders and ramps were thrown over the sides as the ship was moored tightly to the thick wooden poles that would hold it in place. The men and women then began to disembark but it was a slow effort. It seemed like it had been forever when the flow of sailors finally started to die down but Ryou and Marik were still standing there. Night had fallen about thirty or so minutes ago and both were freezing.

"Maybe they got held up on the ship?" Ryou offered, but Marik thought different. His silence wasn't the answer Ryou was looking for and he huddled closer to the blond. "They're in there. They have to be." The last sentence was mumbled beneath Ryou's breath but Marik still heard it.

 _Yes, they have to be in there,_ he thought. He didn't want to imagine what life would be like with Melvin gone and the mere thought brought tears to his eyes. The words soon lost their confident tone and gathered up a pleading one instead as the minutes continued to wear on. _Please be in there…_

* * *

Marik and Ryou had to retreat to his car when both became too cold to stand out on the docks any longer. Boxes were still being unloaded off of the ship as the duo waited, growing more and more impatient as time went on. They both had expected their lovers to come down with the rush, but they didn't. They had both moved their vehicles towards the front of the parking lot so they could get a better view of the ship and stay warm. They sat in Ryou's sedan with the heat blasting on full.

"Where are they?" Marik growled with an irritated tone. His lavender eyes glared at the ship as he practically willed Melvin to come down the plank.

"I don't know," Ryou replied hesitantly. He had been so accepting of the fact that Bakura could be hurt or worse a month ago but that had faded within the past few hours. He was really hoping that he could at least kiss his fiance at their already planned wedding ceremony before the thief went six feet under. Suddenly, a trio of men came down the plank and the gold bars on the leading man's shoulder gave him away as the commanding officer of the ship. "Let's go ask him," Ryou offered. Upon Marik's nod, they both stepped from the comfortable sedan and advanced towards the officer steadily.

"Excuse us, but do you know of a Melvin and Bakura?" Marik asked hastily upon getting the guy's attention. They did, after all, stop in front of the trio. The officer was a haggard looking old man and the two behind him were carrying two dark green sea bags. They had to be his subordinates. The officer's eyes narrowed at the question as if he was confused.

"Melvin Ishtar and Bakura Touzoku? They had to be flown off the ship when we had that fire a month ago. Shrapnel came down and got Ishtar's side and a beam fell on Touzoku as they worked to pull our explosive ammunition away from the flames. They ought to still be in that British hospital they were flown too, but if you boys are their family on their paperwork, you should've gotten a letter saying so," the officer said matter-of-factly. He went on for a moment more proclaiming that they were 'damned good men who saved the ship from a second deadly explosion' before excusing himself to continue on his way.

"A letter?" Ryou was the first to speak but Marik shook his head defiantly.

"My ass! Melvin would've called or something!" He crossed his arms but felt the burning behind his eyes.

"Well, let's see if we can't contact some sort of office tomorrow morning, eh?" Ryou offered gently, always playing peacekeeper. He knew that Marik would take any news of Melvin not coming home terribly and intended to tip-toe around the subject as best he could until they could get some hard facts laid out. "Meanwhile, we best head back to my place. I'll set up the guest room for you and then maybe we can have that dinner?"

Marik sighed and took a deep breath before nodding his head. On their way back to their vehicles, Marik tried his very best to not cry. _Not until Melvin is home safe,_ he reminded himself. He rode Melvin's motorcycle back to Ryou's place quietly. Ryou's sedan was in front of him the entire time, the driver no doubt keeping an eye on him.

* * *

It was just two weeks later when Marik found himself once again cutting up vegetables for his lunch that day. He and Ryou crashed at each other's places a lot over the past weeks since neither wanted to be alone while their lover's conditions were still unknown to them. They hadn't been able to find out anything more on Melvin and Bakura outside of what their commanding officer had said that night the ship docked. The bars were just as unhelpful.

A sudden knock on the door startled him out of his moody thoughts and he sighed. He was _so_ not in the mood for visitors, and he had told Ryou to just come on in whenever he decided to come over. They were so close that they each had the other's apartment keys. He placed the knife aside and rubbed his hands clean with a towel briefly before running to answer the door. He had it in his mind to tell whoever was at the door off and hoped it would make him feel at least a tiny bit better. After all, it always made Melvin feel better.

He opened the door ready to spit fire at the bastard who dared interrupt him but they got caught in his throat. "B-Bakura?" Marik stammered in surprise. His lavender eyes were wide as the pale, white-haired man stood on his porch clutching something in his hands. He could see two cars parked at the curb. Ryou's sedan was one of them and the other was a black SUV with a military emblem emblazoned on the door. His gaze then dropped to the item Bakura held in his hands. "What is this?" he asked as tears welled up in his eyes unwillingly. There was only one thing that a flag meant in all its triangular shaped glory.

"I know protocol says that the commanding officer should present the flag to the family of a deceased military member but I thought it better if I did it," Bakura began slowly. His dark brown, nearly black eyes were haunted with sorrow and regret. Marik thought he heard his heart crack.

"N-No…" Marik mumbled as he stared at Bakura. He stood in his navy uniform, but he wasn't standing as tall and proud as he usually did.

"I'm sorry, Marik, but Melvin didn't make it. The shrapnel pierced some of his internal organs and..."

Bakura's gruff voice faded out as Marik focused on controlling his sudden burst of emotion. The flag Bakura offered to him was like a gun that had been pointed at his heart. The words were the bullet that had pierced through it and shattered it into a deep cavern of sadness. Marik didn't take the flag. Instead, he placed a hand over his mouth as if to blanket out his upcoming sobs from the world. His other hand was clutching his chest where his heart beat in an uncomfortable quickness despite the numbness he currently felt. His eyes burned from the unshed tears that just threatened to overtake the dams that were his eyelids.

Ryou, who had been waiting by his sedan, immediately rushed up to Marik to wrap him in a warm embrace, and upon feeling the contact, Marik let go of all his sadness. He bawled into Ryou's shoulder and felt another body envelop them both in its heat. Bakura rested his head against the other two as he watched the black SUV slowly move down the road. His commanding officer had graciously allowed him to deliver the news but had to be there nonetheless.

He squeezed his eyes shut to prevent himself from crying. Marik was a mess beside him and Ryou was crying softly now as well. His grip on the two tightened as he thought of the brother he had lost. _I lost a brother,_ Bakura thought sullenly. _But Marik lost his entire world._ The thief's cold heart went out to the blond in an unnatural wave of affection and the sudden desire to make sure Marik was well and protected was not lost upon him.

* * *

Melvin's funeral was a quiet and sullen affair. Of course, no one quite expected it to be a full blown party either. No one would do that to Marik. Yuugi, Yami and their group of friends came by to pay their respects. Joey even managed to bring Kaiba and Mokuba along, and the CEO was rather pleasant throughout the whole affair. He kept the overly curious and insensitive news reporters out of the church and graveyard and _very_ far away from Marik. Something the blond was grateful for. He didn't think he'd hold up against their questioning.

Ryou and Bakura stayed throughout the entire thing despite Bakura and Melvin's shipmates offering them out for consoling drinks. One of them would always be by Marik's side and he was grateful for that too. Ryou easily deflected any of Marik's rudeness of not answering back to the condolences away and politely said they were appreciated. Bakura, while polite because of Ryou's glare, managed to keep many of the people away with his intimidating presence. Marik honestly didn't know how he would ever thank them for their love and support.

After the church and graveyard had been cleared of people attending the funeral, Marik stepped forward to Melvin's newly dug and covered grave. He winced when he saw all the beautiful colored flowers that had been left by the tombstone. He didn't mind them so much but he knew that Melvin would probably like to of seen them all burn. No doubt the spiky-haired blond would've laughed maniacally afterward too.

The thought brought a ghost of a smile to Marik's lips. He hadn't cried the entire day and was quite proud of himself. However, now that no one was around, he felt as if he could cry enough tears to fill the seven seas. He kneeled down in front of the tombstone and traced the carved out words gently.

 **Melvin Ishtar**

 **Brother-in-Arms**

 **KIA 2002**

" **Let 'em all burn."**

The quote was what Melvin would always shout when manning the large turret guns on the ship and it was by far his favorite thing to do outside of spending time with Marik. "I tried to keep my promise, y'know," Marik began shakily and tears finally slipped down his tanned cheeks. "I didn't cry at all. Even when the ship pulled back into port and you weren't there. I tried my best to wait till I saw you again but when Bakura said you were…" he trailed off. The reality of the situation was still all too real for him. "When he said _that_ , I couldn't help it anymore."

He sobbed quietly now. His tears dripped from his chin down onto the dirt and flowers below. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep our promise even when you kept yours. You did come back, albeit not very safe, but still… You came back to me in the end…" He felt a small hand rest itself on his shoulder and didn't need to look up to see that it was Ryou who stood there. "I...I love you, Melvin," he choked out. "Wait for me, okay? A-And know that I'm so very proud of you."

Marik leaned forward gingerly to kiss the tombstone. He rested his forehead against it briefly as he gathered himself for the quick ride over to Ryou and Bakura's apartment. When he felt ready, he stood up and turned to face Ryou quickly. Putting on his best smile, he said to Ryou, "Are you cooking up those steaks tonight?" He decided that if Melvin couldn't be there with him in his eighty or so year lifespan, Marik would run the clock down by doing everything fun and being happy save for one day each year in remembrance.

Ryou's look of surprise was quickly hidden behind a relieved smile when he finally realized what Marik had subconsciously decided. "You know it. Bakura's got to eat double his usual amount, y'know. I'm going to have to listen to him complain the entire bloody night now."

Marik walked beside Ryou back to the waiting sedan that Bakura was sitting behind the wheel of. Ryou took shotgun and quickly silenced all of Bakura's questions and concerns about why Marik was "all smiley looking" with a shake of his head. Marik slid into the back seat easily.

 _I promise never to cry again until I actually get to see your face, Melvin,_ he thought as the sun began to set beautifully over the graveyard. The car pulled away from the church smoothly and before Marik knew it, the sight was gone. He leaned his head up against the window longingly. _Just make sure you're safe and sound, waiting for me to come home._


End file.
